Grand juries are a handy tool for prosecutors, providing a ready pretext for any potentially controversial decision to bring charges or, as is often the case with police accused of crimes, not bring charges. Do grand jury proceedings serve any purpose, or are they just theater? Dave explains on 90.5 WESA's The Confluence.
Read MoreSupreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced in January that he will retire this year, giving President Biden a chance to name his replacement. Dave reviews highlights from Breyer's 38 years on the bench.
Read MoreThis month the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments concerning enforcement of the controversial "heartbeat" law that effectively bans abortion in Texas. Dave provides analysis as a guest on 90.5 WESA's The Confluence.
Read MoreDave previews some of the big cases coming before the U.S. Supreme Court this session -- first with Kevin Gavin on 90.5 WESA's "The Confluence," then continuing with extra podcast-only analysis of cases not covered in the segment.
Read MoreWhile crime remains down overall, over the last year we've seen a startling spike in the U.S. murder rate. What's going on?
Read MoreA pair of articles in USA Today (paywall) and the New York Times raises the question: do police officers face any real consequences for making false statements to cover up criminal abuse?
Read MoreRep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is suing his chambermate, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), over the latter's participation in the January 6 rally that led to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Brooks's defense is... not great.
Read MoreAndrew Cuomo is out as New York governor, after multiple accusations of harassment and abuse from female staff members. Could Cuomo be criminally prosecuted for alleged behaviors that may have crossed the line into sexual assault?
Read MoreConsequences are beginning to catch up with the lawyers who brought former president Donald Trump's election theft conspiracy theories to court.
Read MoreThe New York DA brings indictments against Donald Trump’s business organization and its CFO, Allen Weisselberg.
Read MoreThe U.S. Supreme Court wraps up its session with big decisions on juvenile justice, criminal procedure, civil rights and liberties, voting rights, and more.
Read MoreBill Cosby is out of prison, but not because he's innocent of the rape charges that landed him there. What happened?
Read MoreA California man's DUI has been thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that police needed a warrant to enter his attached garage.
Read MoreHoping to leverage public frustration with rising crime, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner's critics framed his reelection as a referendum on the incumbent's progressive reforms. In the end it was -- but not in the way they had hoped.
Read MoreToday marks the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. How have his death and the resulting groundswell of activism shaped the landscape for criminal justice reform?
Read MoreReformers had high hopes that equipping police with body cameras would make officers more accountable. How's that going?
Read MoreIndependent investigations into police killings are supposed to circumvent the apparent conflict of interest that often prevents local prosecutors from bringing charges against local officers. But they don't seem to be any likelier to result in charges, because the law is stacked in favor of police regardless of who's investigating.
Read MoreFollowing Derek Chauvin's conviction in the murder of George Floyd, the Justice Department launches a "pattern or practice" investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.
Read MoreA Minneapolis jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. What does it mean for criminal justice reform?
Read MoreThe apparently racially-motivated spa murders in Atlanta have reignited discussion about hate-crime statutes. How do these laws work? How often are they applied, and to what ends?
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